---
id: KB-PR-028
url: https://app.codecontract.io/help/troubleshooting/what-happens-if-i-dont-send-it
idioma: en
categoria: problemas
audiencia: usuario
nivel: basico
actualizado: 2026-08-13
tambienEn: [es]
relacionados: [KB-TL-022, KB-TL-025, KB-PR-031]
citadoPor: [KB-NO-027, KB-PS-023]
---

# What happens if I don't send it?

_It depends what they need it for, and you find that out by asking. What never helps is not replying._

**Responde a:** what happens if i dont send the paperwork · am i obliged to send what they ask · can i refuse to provide a document · consequences of not providing documents

**It depends why they are asking, and that is the question worth putting.** A requirement for invoicing you, one for entering a site, and an internal collection exercise of theirs are three very different things.

## The four reasons, and what tends to be at stake

| Why they ask | What tends to happen if it is missing |
| --- | --- |
| It is a condition of working together | Onboarding, the order or site access stops |
| A third party requires it of them | Their problem becomes yours, with a deadline |
| Their own internal control asks for it | Persistence, and little more short-term |
| Nobody quite knows why | Commoner than it looks. Ask |

> [!IMPORTANT]
> **What makes all four rows worse equally is silence.** «I don't have it», «I can't give you that», «I'll have it in two weeks» and «what do you need it for?» are four answers that unblock; not replying unblocks none of them. And contrary to what many fear, saying you cannot rarely breaks a commercial relationship — what wears it down is having to chase you.

## How to answer when the answer is awkward

1. **Say which part you can provide** — There is nearly always a reduced version that meets the need.
2. **Say when, if it is a matter of time** — A specific date is worth more than a long apology.
3. **And ask whether something else would do** — Many document lists are copied from elsewhere and accept equivalents.

> [!WARNING]
> Before writing something off as impossible, check one thing: **what they want may exist under another name**. A good share of «I don't have it» is really «I don't have it under that name» — the same paper is issued by a different body, or your sector calls it something else. Describing what you do hold and asking whether it works solves more cases than hunting for exactly what the list says.

**Am I obliged to provide it?**

It depends on your contract and the relationship. Ask what they need it for.

**What if they ask for something that does not exist in my case?**

Say so. It is useful information and usually gets it dropped.

**Can I give only part of it?**

Often yes, and it is usually the good way out. Propose it yourself.

## Ejemplos

**You are asked for a document you do not have and stop replying rather than say no.**

- Says which part they can provide and by when the rest would exist

→ The relationship holds and the request is adjusted to what actually exists.

**A document on the list does not exist under that name in your sector.**

- Describes the one they do hold and asks whether it works as an equivalent

→ The list gets corrected instead of leaving a permanent gap.

**Nothing is answered and the other side keeps waiting.**

- Answers, even if only to say it is not possible

→ The other side can decide instead of waiting.

**It is assumed nothing happens without that paper.**

- Asks what they need it for

→ The decision is taken knowing what is at stake.

**The document does not exist and nobody says so.**

- Explains why it does not exist and proposes an alternative

→ The conversation moves instead of stalling.

**It takes longer than asked and no notice is given.**

- Gives notice before the deadline with a new date

→ The other side reorganises in time.